Irish Soda Bread

I started my dietetic internship in January, which means between working in the hospital, commuting and studying I have barely had time to sleep, let alone to cook. This weekend, I finally found myself with a few free hours and decided it was time to stress-bake. With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, I figured it would be a good time to get in touch with my Irish heritage and try to re-create a classic Irish soda bread.

While gluten-free bread may require a few more ingredients, one plus side is that you don’t have to knead the dough. Normally, kneading dough is essential for making a gluten matrix that traps air and allows dough to rise. Leaving out the gluten means you can skip the extra work of kneading, and you don’t have to worry about over or under kneading your dough. With this recipe you just have to mix the dough with a spatula until well combined and then throw it in the oven!

Recipe

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour

1 cup corn starch

1 cup chickpea flour

1 cup brown rice flour

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients:

2 cups non-dairy milk (I used cashew, but almond or soy would work as well)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp melted Earth Balance

½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix together milk and apple cider vinegar and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl

Add the melted Earth Balance and milk + apple cider vinegar mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well using a rubber spatula.

Once batter is mixed add in the raisins and mix until well distributed

Using floured hands (the dough will be sticky) , form the dough into a round

Place the round on a cast iron skillet (or a regular baking sheet if you don’t have a skillet)

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown

Once finished, transfer bread to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.